One of the least favorite aspects of entertaining at home is the cleanup after everyone leaves. Fortunately Paula Jhung, author of Guests Without Grief, has a few tricks up her sleeve to make this unpleasant task much easier to bear. Jhung says that if you prepare your house so that it is always ready to accommodate children and company, then postparty stress is virtually eliminated. This means, for example, choosing deeply colored rugs that can mask any stains that may occur during an evening meal or at a party (for instance, light blue wouldn't be a practical shade, as very few foods are blue). Oriental-type rugs that contain red, green and brown, however, can effectively camouflage accidents with hues that are more common in the foods we eat. This means that after you have cleaned the spill, the stain will not haunt you for years to come. To avoid leaving a lasting impression on your carpet, Jhung recommends keeping plenty of club soda on hand for those little emergencies. Simply pour a generous amount directly on the stain and rub with a brush or towel. It is helpful to have a few towels stashed behind a cabinet door so that accidents can be taken care of quickly. This will serve you well with both guests and children. Keeping extra paper supplies on hand will also make life easier. Display your paper towels in an obvious spot so that anyone can have immediate access to one. Additionally, premoistened towelettes or baby wipes are a handy cleaning tool for kids and guests. Keep a container in the bathroom and in the kitchen to remind others to clean their hands. These small things that allow you to maintain a clean house on a daily basis will serve you well during your party. The real work begins after the party is over. With so much debris scattered throughout your house, it's hard to know where to begin. Jhung offers these tips to help ease the strain: - The best way to clear most of the party debris is to use a large serving tray to haul everything to the trash can or the kitchen. Jhung says hese trays are the most underutilized items in our homes.
- To remove melted wax from wood furniture, allow the wax to harden, then scrape off with a credit card. Make sure to scrape in the direction of the grain.
- To avoid blowing hot wax all over the place, use a candle snuff to extinguish the flame. Jhung says that we do not realize how valuable a tool this really is. Far from being merely an attractive decorative piece, a candle snuff will prevent tiny pieces of wax from embedding themselves into the tablecloth or other places that might remain unnoticed.
- For red-wine stains, pour white wine over the area and launder as usual.
- If you find postparty scratches on your wooden furniture, pull out the crayons and fill in the mark with a similar color. Or you can use furniture crayons designed especially for this purpose. Available at home-supply stores, they come in varying shades of brown to allow the closest match possible. Run the crayon across the scratch, then scrape off excess with a credit card.
- Cutting boards used for meats and dairy products need to be cleaned immediately after use. Wash or spray with a mixture of bleach and water to kill the harmful bacteria.
- Clean blenders by pouring a bit of soap in the bottom and fill almost to the top with water. Cover and blend on low for a few minutes. Any remaining food will come right off when wiped with a cleaning sponge.
- To clean your microwave oven, combine one tablespoon baking soda with a cup of water and heat until the mixture explodes. The residue left on the inside will remove the food when wiped off with a paper towel.
RESOURCES :
Guests Without Grief: Entertaining Made Easy for the Hesitant Host
Model: 0684818841
Author: Paula Jhung
218 pages
(April 1997)
GUESTS :
Paula Jhung
Author
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